Reaching for the Moon
by AnnerZ
Summary: Rhea Claire is in desperate need of a tutor. When Kurama comes into her life, she feels as if everything is perfect. But what happens when not only does she find out that he's a demon, but theres something else about her that her parents failed to mention
1. Test Gone Wrong

"Math homework….oooh look, a candle!"

This just isn't Rhea's night. There's nothing to do, no anime to watch, no sister to hassle and the last thing she wants to do is study for her math test. She climbed into her loft with her candle and a box of matches and made a mini bonfire.

"It would really suck if I burnt the house down," she said to herself carelessly. She added another match stick to her pile and laughs when it bursts into flame.

click

Rhea turns toward her window. The tree outside is swaying slightly from the wind, but it's too far away to hit her window. Curious of course, the skinny blonde teen gets off her rump and looks out the window into the cool evening night.

"I wonder what that was. I hope Adelina's not home," Rhea groans. The thought of her sister coming back was enough to make Rhea want to lock herself in her room until morning.

Turning around to get back to her bonfire she sees that it was blown out and someone was sitting at her desk with her math book. It was a guy, at least, Rhea _thought_ it was a guy. He had long red hair that ended just past his shoulders and piercing green eyes. He wore a collared green shirt that amplified his body tone and jeans.

"Ahh! Who are you?!" Rhea cried. The guy's face dropped into a frown. Rhea was clutching her chest and pressed against her window as if to melt into it and away from the mystery man.

"Who the frog are you and what are you doing in my room? Why'd you blow out my bonfire? You are a….guy right?" Rhea spilled out these questions as if she had a limited time to speak. She looked him up and down with a quizzical look on her face.

"My name is Suiichi Minamino. You parents hired me as your tutor and I'm surprised they didn't tell you. They let me into the house before they left to get your sister and your 'bonfire' was smoking up the room and almost lit your lovely loft. And yes, I am of the male gender," he spoke with such grace that it wouldn't have mattered if he said he was here to kill her, she'd still stand there waiting for him to talk some more.

"Ok… that explains a lot. Except... why's your hair so long?"

"Let's get started with this math shall we Rhea?" Suiichi said, avoiding her question and leaving her horribly unsatisfied.

Rhea and Suiichi spent the week together. Every evening around 6, Suiichi would help Rhea with her math homework for an hour, explaining everything with so much patience that Rhea couldn't help but admire him. Her test would be the following day and it would put all her knowledge to the test.

"Do you feel prepared for your exam?" Suiichi asked Rhea the morning of her test.

"Not really, I hope I pass, I can't afford a bad grade. Are you coming over again today to see how I did?" She answered.

"I'm sorry Rhea, I'm busy today, but I want to know the results of your test as soon as you get it back," He smiled.

That smile. Rhea couldn't help but feel down when he said he wouldn't be going to her house that day. Now what was she going to do during that hour? Make more bonfires? Before she knew it, the bell had rung and her test began.

_I wonder what he's going to do today…. He has really pretty hair…. I wonder what kind of things he likes to do…..He has REAAAALLY pretty hair…_

Rhea looked down at her test. Looking at all the problems just reminded her of Suiichi and she got distracted again.

_Honestly, how does he keep his hair so nice? I should ask him._

"Okay class, pass your tests up and don't forget to write your name on the top. Have a nice day, I'll see you tomorrow," Rhea's teacher announced.

_OMG! THE TEST! No no noooo!! _Rhea had completely drifted off and didn't do anything but write her name no the top of her paper. Turning in her test, she contemplated what she was going to say to Suiichi.

_I can't face him now! Ugh!_

At her locker, Rhea puts her math book in and slams it shut and puts her head on the cold metal. Closing her eyes for only a moment she dreads seeing Suiichi.

"How was the test Rhea?"

Rhea jumps, not expecting him to come find her so quickly. She didn't know what to say, or what to do for that matter. So she closes her eyes again, facing her locker.

_Maybe if I just stay quiet he'll just go away…_

To be Continued...

* * *


	2. Missing Redhead

"Rhea? Are you alright? You look pale."

_That's definitely strange, considering I'm normally red. Can his voice sound any better? Insert frustrated sounds here._

Rhea could almost sense Suiichi's worried eyes staring at her. Trying to avoid his questioning, emerald eyes, she managed to find her voice.

"I…kinda…didn't…do it…" She stammered quietly. It was pure luck that Suiichi even heard her.

"What do you mean? Did you feel ill? Should I take you to the nurse?" He questioned, only making her feel worse. She hated letting him down, knowing that all his hard work was for nothing.

"I just didn't do it ok? Sorry. I started daydreaming and suddenly class was over! Haven't they ever heard of warning students how much more time they have left?!"

She knew there would be no way he wouldn't be mad. No matter how much patience he had, she knew she'd blew it. He'd never like her and he'd never want to speak to her again. All those nights wasted, she was a hopeless case not worth tutoring.

"Rhea, it's ok, at least now I know that it's not the understanding of the material that you struggle with, but it's the concentrating that's giving you a hard time."

And with that he smiled at her. His eyes seemed to glow with kindness and passion. No part of him was bad, she knew that now. To Rhea, he was an angel, or at least as close to one as anyone could get these days.

"I'm sorry that I won't be over today though, but I'll look forward to keeping you on one track tomorrow."

She didn't answer him. She was so happy that he wasn't angry that she forgot how to speak. So as he walked away from her, she just smiled inwardly, which made her look like a gaping fool to those around her. It took all she had not to jump up and sing the Piña Colada song at the top of her lungs.

_Wait, did he just walk away from me as I gaped like a fish and didn't say anything back?! Oh frog! I'm stupid! I have to find him and make myself seem at least slightly more intelligent that a sea creature!_

As the day wore on and the end of school neared, Rhea had no luck in finding her red headed friend. Not that she was urgently looking for him though; she had no desire to seem desperate.

_Where is he?! How could a hott red head just disappear like that?! If I were him, where would I be….?_

Running down the stairs, Rhea forgot to watch where she was going as she normally did when her mind wandered elsewhere. Luck was against her and she ran headlong into someone.

"Ouch… head rush… I'm sorry!" Rhea groaned to whoever she had hit.

"Don't sweat it Blondie, are you ok?" A rough hand helped her up and Rhea noticed two boys standing in front of her. They were both well built, though one definitely better looking than the other.

"Hey… you're really pretty. Wanna be my girlf--OW! Yurameshi!" The lesser of the two yelped.

"Don't be stupid Kuwabara, you'd be cheating on Yukina, remember?" The one called Yurameshi sneered. The two were definitely a pair, and Rhea wanted out before their stupidity rubbed off on her. After all, she had a mission! Operation: Find the Red Head!

"Hey wait! Have you seen Ku--Suiichi?" Yurameshi yelled before Rhea could get far. Hearing that name, she turned around, acknowledging the question. She thought that if they knew him, maybe they could help her find him.

After a couple hours of searching the school and the small city, Rhea got to know the two boys well. Yurameshi was tall and brunette; he lived with his alcoholic mother and loved to fight. His first name was Yusuke, and he told you to call him by that instead of his surname. Kuwabara's first name was Kazuma, but unlike Yusuke, he preferred his surname. Kuwabara was a normal idiot, who drooled over girls and didn't know how to get a decent haircut. He had an older sister named Shizuru, who was much older and mainly took care of him.

It was getting dark and you decided that you would head home. After bluntly declining Kuwabara's offer to walk you home, you were on your way, until you heard a voice nearby.

"Why should we help Human World when they're all just a bunch of worthless apes?

_WORTHLESS?! APES?! Oh I'll show that punk who's a worthless ape! Let me at him! _

Hot headedly, Rhea quickly turned the corner just in time to see a shower, black-haired man and a redhead turn different corner. Before she knew what she was getting herself into, the chase was on.


	3. Demon Encounter

Correct me on any spelling, grammar, or punctuation mistakes! Rate and Review!!

* * *

The red hair on it's own urged Rhea to follow, and she didn't have to go far for her to completely regret her decision. Cold metal made it's way across her skin and positioned itself at her neck.

"Don't move human," a voice commanded.

Terrified, she accidentally screamed and jerked away from the strange man, and was instantly pulled back by his strong arms.

"I told you not to move; I don't want to accidentally kill my leverage now do I?"

"No, no you don't. How about this, I'll follow you and not struggle so that you won't have to worry about killing me with your shiny sword thing." She flashed a cheesy grin hopefully persuading him to listen.

He ignored her and pulled her back towards him. Desperate for escape, Rhea kicked at the man's groin, and jabbed her bony elbow into his stomach. She missed completely, and she felt as if her elbow hit solid concrete and she winced in pain.

Out of nowhere, she lost feeling in her feet. No, that wasn't it. She was being raised off the ground and into the air!

_Oh shit he flies! Lucky butthead!_

"Rhea!" cried a voice from below.

Opening her eyes, Rhea saw Suiichi and a short, dark-haired guy standing on a roof looking up at her.

"Let her go Takami! Your quarrel is with us! She has nothing to do with this!" Suiichi shouted at the man carrying you.

"She has everything to do with us Kurama. You fool, she's just what I need to get the key from you."

"A demon like you can't use the key, besides, do you even know where the box is?" the short, black-haired guy said calmly.

"Demon?! What key?! Who's Kurama?!" Rhea screamed as she struggled against the flying demon.

"If you don't give the key to me, this human girl will die. I've seen the way you spend time with her Kurama. She's important to you," the demon Takami threatened.

_The demon called Suiichi Kurama. I wonder what's going on here._

"Rhea stop struggling or you'll fall!" Suiichi/Kurama yelled to you, and turning to the short guy he said, "Hiei, if she falls, catch her please."

"Hn," was the reply. Rhea felt that there was minute care in his voice.

"FALL?! You better not let me go you flying monkey!" Rhea yelled agitatedly towards her capture.

The demon pulled Rhea's hair back, causing her to yelp, and told her to shut up. Suiichi's eyes fired and shot daggered looks at Takami, making the demon more wary of what the red head might do. Seeing Suiichi's concern for her, Rhea felt relieved that he didn't bear a grudge from earlier that day.

Kurama's hand went to his head, or more specifically, his hair. Takami, seeing this, flew away from him a few more feet, as if anticipating an attack.

_What's he so afraid of? It looks like Suiichi's just going to flip his hair or something. Wimp. _

Before Rhea could count the fingers on her hand, something hit Takami on the side, and he was heading straight into the street below. He hadn't let go of her, but it wouldn't have matter, considering she couldn't fly.

"Aaah!!" Rhea screamed as the concrete was coming closer and closer. They would surely hit the ground and become a pile of mush resembling messily done pancakes.

During the panic, Rhea failed to notice that Takami had let go of her, trying to save himself. Something was coming at her, small and black; it caught her with so much force that it knocked the wind out of her. Dizzy, she was set down on the roof of another building, only 2 stories high.

_Oi…. I'm getting a bruise there…. At least I'm still alive. _

Someone was standing in front of her as she rolled onto her back and put her hand on her side. Rhea could hear grunts and yells near her, and looking up, she saw Suiichi fighting Takami with a whip of sorts. It was long and green, with thorns covering it.

It was over for Takami. Rhea wasn't much of a fighter, but she knew a dead man when she saw one. He tried to fly away but the rope caught his wing and pulled him down, ripping it clean off. Yelping in pain, Takami was caught again by Suiichi's thorn covered whip, and this time it cut through his neck and he was gone from the living world.


	4. Storytime Yet?

Within an instant, Suiichi was by her side. He didn't look at her. He just stared at Takami's dead, bloody corpse and sighed. Looking down at Rhea, he helped her up, offering her a smile. The other guy, Hiei, leaned against the brick that kept him from falling off the building and closed his eyes. No one said anything, and Rhea was thankful, because she had a lot of thinking to do.

"Do you want us to take you home?" Suiichi asked with a wavering voice.

It seemed as if he didn't know what to do with her. Rhea knew he was keeping something from her. That much was obvious, especially after what just happened. She wanted answers. And she wouldn't leave without them.

"No, can we go somewhere else? We need to talk," Rhea replied, choosing her words carefully. She looked at him, moving her eyes over his face. His emerald green eyes and perfectly structured face. There was a drop of sweat above his left eyebrow, his lips were relaxed, and his face showed no hint of anger, fear, or exhaustion from the fight. Rhea told herself not to play poker against him, with that face, she'd always lose.

With a short, precise "Hn", Hiei turned and jumped off the building. Without saying a word, Suiichi motioned for the shocked Rhea to get on his back, and doing so, he jumped gracefully of the building as well.

With a soft squeal, they landed neatly on the ground, but Suiichi didn't let her down. He walked alongside Hiei quickly, carrying her on his back. Feeling tired, Rhea fell asleep against Suiichi's firm, yet soft back, with her arms draped over his shoulders and locked in front of his neck.

Rhea rolled over. Something soft hit her face and smelled of sweet pea. She felt comfortably soft linens caress her legs and arms, and her face was snuggled in a white pillow that seemed to melt into the shape of her head. Waking up slowly, Rhea realized that this wasn't the feeling of her bed under the loft. There wasn't a young cat crawling over her begging for breakfast, or an old cat sleeping on her chest.

"Rhea, are you awake?" a voice asked quietly. It's Suiichi, and he had just walked in the door carrying a tray. The tray smelled of fresh pancakes and boysenberry. A glass of water was also on the tray. Handling it with perfect precision, being careful not to spill, Suiichi set it down on the table near the bed.

"Where am I? And don't tell me some underground pervert headquarters, cuz I will beat you up," Rhea warned with a suspicious look in her startling blue eyes. At least she was somewhat sarcastic. She didn't really believe Suiichi was horrible at all. He probably wouldn't hurt a fly.

_But that thing… he killed it… or him… whatever._

_**Concentrate on where you are silly! **_

_Waa! What was that?_

_**I'm you, you're me. Now look up! He's talking to you!**_

Snapping out of her little conversation with herself, she saw Suiichi truly was talking to her. He was wondering if she was alright. Apparently he was getting worried when she didn't answer him right away.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thanks for asking. Where am I again?"

"You're at my house. This is my mother's room. You've only been out for a few hours. You were tired after what happened last night."

"Last night…. Oh yeah… Do you mind explaining all that?

"Of course, I'm just waiting for someone to get here."

* * *

Yes yes I realize this is impeccably short and I apologize!! The REAL Rhea was annoying me to put it up. So I'm punishing her with a cliff hanger. I wonder who's coming!! :D

R&R


	5. Surprise Surprise

She sat up in bed and grabbed the boysenberry syrup, drenching the pancakes in it. Next she picked up the plate and set it in her lap and dug in. Suiichi watched, amused, and glad that she liked boysenberry. Unknown to him, it was her favorite syrup, and he had gotten lucky.

"Don't eat too fast, you'll choke."

"Pfft, on pancakes? Never. They love me!" Rhea spoke quickly with food in her mouth. She took a swig of the water to wash down her mouthful of food. "Do you happen to have ice on hand for the water? If it's not too much trouble."

"Not at all, I didn't think you wanted iced water in the morning though."

"Well I'm an oddball. You'll learn." She smiled, giving him her water.

As he walked out the door she admired him. The way he held himself, the way he walked. The way he turned back to smile at her as he left the room.

_Bah!! What am I thinking?! But he has a nice butt…._

_**You bet he does. Don't you want a piece of it?**_

_OMG. It's you again. Who are you again?_

_**You're stupid. I'm your inner self or whatever you want to call me. I'm you. Now. When that sexy beast comes back, give him the best smile you can muster and thank him for getting you ice. **_

_Uhh… yes ma'am?_

She heard a crash downstairs. It sounded as if someone had drunkenly walked into a bookshelf and knocked the entire thing over on glass floor and shattered it. Almost immediately afterwards there was an exasperated "Kuwabara!" and then it was chaotic. People were yelling and Rhea could swear she heard grunts as if they were fighting or lifting something heavy.

After about 10 minutes of wondering what was going on and finishing her pancakes, she decided she wanted to change into her normal clothes. Getting out of bed, she quickly found her garments and proceeded to take the pajamas she was wearing off. She had no sooner taken off her shirt and pants when she heard rapid thuds coming towards the room.

_They're coming!! Shirt, shirt, shirt! Where's the shirt! OMG I don't have pants either!!  
_

She found her black tank top sitting on the chair and snatched it up and threw it on as fast as she could. But as fast as she could wasn't quite soon enough. Three guys opened up her room and she could hear Suiichi scolding them for not knocking. Her shirt was barely covering her bra-covered breasts as the two in front looked at her in utter silence. Rhea quickly pulled her shirt down past where they were supposed to be, past her butt and glared at Yusuke and Kuwabara. Kuwabara had begun to drool, and Yusuke was staring at something other than her face. Even Suiichi had gotten a look at her, and was turning away, cheeks slightly pink.

"HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF KNOCKING?!" Rhea screamed at mainly Yusuke and Kuwabara. She roughly shoved them out of the door and slammed it shut, locking it. It didn't take her long to finish getting dressed after she made sure no one was around.

Outside, Kuwabara and Yusuke were busy bragging about what they saw.

"Did you see the wink face on her bra? Damn that was hott.. and she had matching panties!" Yusuke exclaimed with a sigh.

"Hey, back off. You have Keiko!" Kuwabara said defiantly.

"And you as well have a girlfriend named Yukina, Kuwabara. You two should learn manners and knocking skills before barging into a woman's room like that," Kurama suddenly spoke up, barely louder than a whisper.

"Ok, you guys can come in now," Rhea had opened her door, and the guys filed into the room one by one. Kuwabara sat in a chair by the table. Yusuke took a chair and sat backwards in it in the middle of the room, and Suiichi leaned against on of the walls near the door. Hiei had also arrived through the window, and had perched himself comfortably at the windowsill. Rhea had settled herself back on the bed, sitting cross legged.

"Ok, so number one. Who was that last night? And what did he want?" Rhea started.

"That was Takami. He wanted a key.." Suiichi answered, choosing his words carefully.

"That much I know, I was there and heard what he said. But why?"

And they talked. They talked for a few hours. 3 hours and 38 minutes to be exact. Rhea found out that the key opened a box similar to Pandora's Box. Though it was quite different. This box held something important to the Rekai, and demons everywhere wanted it. Even know no one knew what was in the box, but legend had it that it could destroy Spirit World. Legend also had it that only the people closest to King Yama and Prince Koenma knew its whereabouts.

But with that answer came many more questions. And within the 3 hours and 38 minutes, Rhea knew about the Rekai and Koenma and the Makai. She was told that Yusuke, Hiei, and Suiichi..or Kurama, were demons, and Kuwabara was a human with incredible spirit power. As well as the fact that the four were Koenma's spirit detectives, and they protected human world from demons.

"Ok… This is weird. But how do I fit in to all this?" Rhea asked the final question.

"Takami has probably been trailing us and found out that I was tutoring you and assumed that you were close to me. He most likely wanted to blackmail me into giving him what he wanted."

"Do you know where the box is?"

"No."

"So I was put in danger…. And there was a possibility that he could've killed me."

"Yes and no. We wouldn't have let him harm you. He wasn't a powerful demon."

Thoughts overwhelmed her. She looked at Kurama with hope that she could see truth in his eyes. She did. Kurama was calm and collected but his eyes showed sincerity and reassurance. Then she remembered she had to get home.

"Omg, I've been gone all night! I have to go," Rhea stammered, getting all her stuff.

"Don't worry, we told your parents that you were studying with me so that you could pass your make up test," Kurama said smoothly, reaching out to her arm with his hand, stopping her from rushing.

When his hand touched her bare arm, she froze. Looking at him once more, she felt a connection. Of what type she didn't know. All she knew was that within moments, both of them were blushing and Yusuke and Kuwabara had seized the chance to mock the pair. Hiei had slipped out once the explaining was over, muttering something about human stupidity wearing off on him.

Kurama quickly let go of Rhea's arm, and told her that he'd take her home. With the stupid friends on their tail, they hopped into Kurama's black BMW convertible, and sped off. Though short, Rhea's hair whipped against the wind as she leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes. She hoped her parents bought the story Kurama told them, and if not, she didn't know what she would do.

_I hope they aren't mad…._

_**Who cares!? You're in KURAMA'S CONVERTIBLE. Relax! Enjoy!**_

Laughing silently in her head, rhea agreed with herself. She looked at Kurama and he looked at her. They smiled at each other and Rhea blushed. The red head laughed and paid his attention back to the road.

* * *

Blame the Real Rhea for the embarrassing scene. She implied that she didn't like Hiei and he's my lover!

Hiei: No I'm not.

Me: Yes you are, shut up.

So anyways. it's longer than Ch. 4 so I expect R&R'S!

AnnerZ


	6. Date Sorta

**Author's Note:** I would like to inform all haters of this story that I do not tolerate bashing of my fan fiction. I love helpful criticism and advice, but words like "This part sucks." And "Your character sounds like she has a psychological disorder" are NOT welcome. This is a fan FICTION. In other stories, far weirder things happen than a subconscious. Thank you and enjoy the chapter. And just to clear up the American names in this Japanese story which is taking place in California, the names Rhea and Annie are my best friend and I. Also, this is a filler chapter because I'm kinda bored with the story and want to get on to the exciting stuff, but I know I have to get through introductions first.

Rhea was back in her loft, playing with her bonfire. A few days had passed since the talk with the guys, and her parents didn't mind that she was "studying" with Kurama and accidentally fell asleep at his house. It's amazing what parents will believe isn't it?

With her mind wandering and her gaze straight into the small fire, Rhea didn't notice someone walk into her room rather noisily. Soon enough, a black-haired figure was right in her face and snuffed out her bonfire.

"BOO!"

Poor Rhea jumped and almost rolled onto her cat, Rocket. Meowing annoyingly, the young kitten jumped from the loft and marched out of the room in search of a new place to be lazy.

"What are you doing here Annie?" Rhea asked with a glare.

Annie was Rhea's best friend. They had only known each other for 4 years, but they stuck like glue and were crazy together. Annie was taller than Rhea by about ½ of an inch, and had thick, wavy, black hair in contrast to Rhea's silky gold locks. Also, while Rhea was as skinny as a toothpick, Annie was more average built, with just enough curves, but a little extra to go around.

"I brought you your homework. YOU'RE WELCOME."

"Eww. You're not thanked."

"Yeah yeah, you're so far behind, so I thought I'd be of service."

I should probably tell you now that Rhea's been faking sick for the past few days, not counting the weekends of course, because she didn't feel like going to school when there were so many things to think about. Taking the work from Annie, she threw them on her desk and sat back on her loft, sighing deeply.

"What's up chica? You alright?" Annie asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired is all."

"I saw an amazingly cute guy today! Well, two actually. One was named Suiichi, I don't know who the other one was, he didn't speak. I think he's mute or something. But he's a good looking mute."

Laughing, Annie described the two men Rhea now knew as Kurama and Hiei. She wondered if she should tell her friend about her encounter with the demon, and the talk she had with the four guys.

_Nah… She wouldn't believe me….But then again, she's crazy enough to take me seriously… Blegh. I don't like thinking…. Kurama has pretty hair…_

_**Get back to reality woman!! And yes, he does. He has fine, shmexy hair…**_

Snapping back into reality, Rhea realized Annie was waving her hand in front of her face.

"Yooo hoooo!! Is anyone in there? Wake up Ray Ray!"

"Sorry sorry, I blanked out for a second there."

"I'll say. So do you know the two guys I'm talking about?"

"I know Suiichi, he was my tutor for that one test I failed, remember?"

Just then, Annie's cell phone ringed. A familiar tone of the Crazy Frog song echoed in the small room. The girls laughed and Annie answered the ring. Saying few words, she soon hung up. Without a word, she dragged Rhea out of the house and down the street.

Almost tripping, Rhea pondered what Annie could be doing. She was weird and impulsive at times, but she was never this eager to get somewhere so fast. The pair ran down the street and turned the corner to see lots of red.

"Ku—Suiichi!" Rhea exclaimed, the blue eyes wide since she hadn't expected to see him.

"Hey, Annie says we're all going to the beach. Yusuke and the others will meet us there." He replied with the most beautiful smile Rhea had ever seen.

From Annie's teasing grin, to Kurama's kind smile, Rhea knew Annie had totally set her up. It was in her nature to make Rhea uncomfortable. Almost like a life goal. Sighing, she glared at Annie menacingly, to let her know that she didn't appreciate not being told about going places with guys that she thinks are amazingly amazing.

The three teens laid out there towels on the warm sand. Stretching out, Annie began to rub sun block over her arms and legs, getting ready for a relaxing nap on the beautiful beach.

"Yusuke! Don't be stupid!" came the shrill cry of a girl a few yards from them.

Lazily looking up, Rhea spotted Keiko first. Keiko went to school with them, and everyone knew her as the upstanding girl who was most likely to be valedictorian. This would be the first time that Rhea and Annie hung out with Keiko outside of school, and they didn't know too much about her.

Keiko ran toward them with Yusuke in pull. Stopping just inches from the blankets, Keiko greeted them warmly and introduced the frustrated Yusuke who tried to get his arm out of her grip.

"We've… already… met! Argh... Let go woman!" Yusuke yelled in between grunts and jerks to release himself.

Also with them were Kuwabara and a small blue haired girl wearing a bright blue bathing suit. A necklace with a single pearl was draped around her neck, reflecting the sun off of its smooth surface.

Getting up to be introduced, Annie and Rhea smiled and stuck out there hands.

"Hi! I'm Rhea!"

"And I'm Annie!"

The girl stepped up bravely and shook both there hands. Her name was Yukina, and she was Kuwabara's girlfriend. The blonde and brunette took a glance at each other and burst into laughter.

"You're dating Kuwabara?! Wow, you must be some girl to be able to handle him!"

With a _harrumph_, Kuwabara glared as Yukina giggled softly.

The rest of the day went by smoothly, Rhea got burnt and resembled a tomato, and everyone else only got slightly burned and returned home practically unscathed by the sun's harmful rays.

Rhea fell on her bed and sighed. A day with Kurama, granted her friends and his were there as well, but she thoroughly enjoyed it. Falling asleep with the radio on, she began to dream about the day, except in her dream, it was only her and Kurama.


	7. Ready, Set, Action!

**Author's Note: **Welcome back from Europe Rhea!! BTW: I DO NOT OWN THE YU YU HAKUSHO CHARACTERS. ONLY ANNIE AND RHEA ARE MINE. NOR DO I OWN THE ANIME YU YU HAKUSHO. I JUST LOVE IT. -

* * *

Lazily walking down the stairs, Rhea rubbed her eyes and groaned a good morning. A small cat, Rocket, jumped up to meet her, expecting his breakfast. The other cats, Butterscotch and Pickles, joined Rocket in a meowing their meowing escapade. As if an a cappella group, the cats ran in between her already unstable legs and ran for the food pantry.

"Stupid cats, it's too early for singing!" Rhea grumbled as she poured a scoopful of food for the kitties. Meowing delightfully, the cats dug in, wasting no time hogging the dishes of food and taking in as much as their mouths could hold.

A few months have past and Rhea has gotten acquainted to the Spirit and Demon world a little. Not that she's been there, but she's learned a lot about them from the boys. The relationship between Rhea and Kurama hasn't gone much farther than a close friendship, much to the blonde's dismay.

With summer fast approaching and a trip coming up, Rhea was up to her elbows in things to think about. What to pack, what to do with free time, how many pounds of sun block she should buy. Grabbing a fudge poptart, she fell into her easy chair at the computer and checked her hotmail. A few updates on fan fiction, school grades, a new episode for a favorite anime.

A familiar chime ran through Rhea's ears in the middle of getting caught up with life.

"The phone…. Where is it…..? I think I threw it somewhere over here…" Rhea mumbled, searching high and low for the device that was making that annoying racket.

A loud beep sounded. "Good morning Rhea. It's Kurama. I was wondering if you'd like to join us at the park to hang out. We're leaving in about a half an hour. So call me back when you get this message!"

"Phone phone phone!! Don't hang up!" Rhea sprinted to the dock to answer Kurama with the speakerphone, but alas, she was too late. Finally discovering the silver phone underneath the couch, she hastily called her friend back.

"Hello, Minamino residence!" A female voice answered.

"Hi! This is Rhea. Is K- Suiichi there?" Rhea replied, kicking herself for almost calling Kurama, Kurama.

"Of course dear, one second," the woman, who Rhea assumed to be Kurama's mother, put the phone down and called for her son to answer it.

"Good morning! I assume you got my message?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry I didn't answer, I couldn't find my phone."

"Haha, don't worry about it. So would you like to come along with us? Yusuke told Keiko to invite Annie, and she said she'd be glad to come."

"Sure! I just need to ask my mom but I'm sure she'll say yes."

* * *

Keiko, Annie, Rhea, and a hyperactive blue haired girl wearing a pink kimono named Botan were sitting around a big platform. The guys were standing on top, each wearing some sort of loose clothing, Kuwabara of course being the most outrageous was wearing a bright red headband and sweat bands around each wrist.

"So where are we? I didn't know this part of the park existed." Rhea chimed to the girls. The four men looked busy, and she didn't want to interrupt.

"It's not technically the park; we're in the forest behind the park!" Botan explained in a voice entirely too enthusiastic.

"I wonder what the guys are doing. Are they training for something?" Annie asked curiously, eyeing all four of them and wondering which would win a fight if they were to fight each other.

"Nah, they just like to fight to keep in shape." Botan said in a very frightened voice. Everyone had remembered that Annie was the only one to not know what was going on.

"Uh huh, I believe you. Hiei has amazing abs."

* * *

Hiei grinned. Listening to the girls' conversation, he was amused. Humans were so dense. With the exception of Botan who was just the overly dense and annoying grim reaper.

"Ok, so how are we going to go? Tallest to shortest?" Kuwabara asked, standing as tall as he could, as if he weren't tall enough.

"How about smartest to most idiotic? In which case we all know you'd be last." Hiei muttered in reply.

"Hey! I'm not dumb! You stupid shorty!"

"How about Hiei against Kurama, And I'll fight this big oaf." Yusuke resolved, trying to keep the two from killing each other.

"I'd rather fight him and put the shorty in his place! Below me!" Boasted the carrot top giant.

"You couldn't kill a fly, baka."

* * *

"Let the first match begin!!" Botan shouted, ringing an invisible bell.

The match was between Kurama and Hiei. Since they couldn't use demonic powers because of Annie's presence, they were only allowed to fight hand to hand combat, which was neither of their favorites, but they had to make due.

A cool breeze blew through the area and a few leaves began to fall. As if in slow motion, the last of the leaves fell to the soft green grass. The two attacked immediately and ran at each other in full speed. Hiei threw the first punch, nicking Kurama's shoulder slightly, but not making enough damage to slow him down. With a counterattack, Kurama threw his own punch, which was blocked by Hiei's wrapped right arm. Within that motion, Hiei grabbed Kurama's wrist and twisted it back, spinning him around to avoid breaking it.

Getting thrown to the ground, the clever red head quickly slides his leg along the platform, sweeping it underneath Hiei in attempt to trip him. The fire demon jumped, avoiding the fall but putting himself in a vulnerable spot in mid air. Kurama took advantage and kicked into the air, his foot making contact with Hiei's stomach.

Losing was not an option for either of the two fighters, and both reentered their fighting stance. Kurama's wrist was severely sprained, and Hiei was having trouble breathing. For a while it was nothing but a stare down. And finally, Hiei made his move. Almost within a blink of an eye, he was behind Kurama and punched him in the back, following a swift kick to the back of his knees. Forced to the ground, Kurama flipped onto his back and side swept at Hiei's head. The short demon managed to block most of the kick, but was still knocked over from the sheer force of Kurama's attack.

The two struggled in a stalemate for another 5 minutes, attacking each other relentlessly. Finally, Hiei was caught in a troubling situation. Kurama had his arm behind his back, bending it to the point of breaking, and his knees were in Hiei's back. With a stubborn grunt, Hiei admitted defeat, which signaled Kurama to let go of his friend. The fight was over, both men bruised and battered, but not fatally injured.

On the sidelines, the girls watched. Rhea and Annie's jaws dropped.

"Omg! Did you see that!" Annie squealed.

"Duh! Did you see that one part where Kurama did that spin thingy!"

"Yeah!! Did you see those awesome punches!!"

"Omg!!"

"Omgsh!"

"Enough girls! There's one more fight. Yusuke and Kuwabara are up next!" Botan smiled, trying to get the next match started.

Shutting up, the two excited teens returned their attention to the platform, ready to see another amazing battle. Yusuke and Kuwabara took their places, more than stoked to duke it out.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I hope this chapter wasn't TOO bad. I'm trying to write more exciting stuff. And now that we're done with most of the introductions, we can start doing cool stuff. Don't worry; the demon problem with the box will be back ASAP. Next chapter to be exact. -


	8. The Duo

**Author's Note: **So I'm on a roll and I don't wanna fall into writer's block by not writing. So here's this one! Special thanks to Darkside5454 for the awesome review for Ch. 7. You rawk my world!

* * *

"I'm gonna kick your butt Uremeshi!" Kuwabara shouted pointing his finger at Yusuke.

"And by that you mean you'll end up on the ground crying again right?" Yusuke retorted with a sneer.

That did it. Yusuke's words sent Kuwabara flying at him, yelling his "manly" war cry. Just as the punch was about to sock Yusuke in the face, he swiftly stepped to the side, causing the stupid giant to lose his balance and almost soar out of the ring. Catching himself with his face, Kuwabara grumbles and turns around to face his opponent once more.

"Stop running away and fight me! Or are you scared?" He mocked.

"You wish Kuwabara. I was just giving you a little warm up so you don't strain any muscles!" Yusuke replied with a smile.

Kuwabara was sent into another frenzy with that and again ran towards Yusuke. This time, his fist made contact with his opponents face. Slightly caught off guard, Yusuke stepped back and out of harm's way. Both boys caught in a fury, threw caution to the wind, and fought their hardest. Not bothering to block, Yusuke managed to get away with only a few cuts and bruises, whereas also not blocking, Kuwabara wasn't so lucky. With his face almost resembling a misshapen, stub with many purple growths growing from the neck, he didn't stand a chance.

Kuwabara thudded to the ground, certainly a sign of surrender, and possibly the loss of consciousness.

"Geese…"

"What did he just say? Damn! I think I killed what was left of his brain!"

Kuwabara was seemingly out of it, and Yusuke walked over to see if his friend was still alive. Slapping his in the face a few times, Kuwabara jerked his arm towards Yusuke and sent him tumbling back. The hit resulted in Yusuke connecting with the hard concrete next to him and both men were in a daze.

Back on the sidelines, the girls began to giggle.

"It looks like they both lost." Annie retorted.

"Yusuke won by like a minute though!" Keiko cried out defensively.

* * *

"So you guys do this a lot?" asked Annie. Everyone was sitting by a few trees, Keiko and Yusuke huddled together, Botan spread out under the sun, and Hiei perched on a low branch of a nearby tree.

"It's just a stress reliever thing we do. Just like once a week." Yusuke answered.

The gang had been talking for about a half an hour, giving Yusuke and Kuwabara time to wake up and get some energy back. Rhea was starting to feel very comfortable around her new friends, unlike Annie who jumped in to any friendship easily and with a lot of enthusiasm. The two girls say across from Kurama, who had his head back against a tree but still putting his two cents into the conversation.

Rhea felt good. More than good, she was really happy to have met Kurama. She wondered if he ever thought about her. She thought back to the night when they had to rescue her from that flying demon. She thought for a moment that he was really worried, in a romantic way, about her. Was she just dreaming? She hoped not. He was almost perfect. From what she knew about him at least. He was kind, caring, and stunningly beautiful. A gymnast's build that could carry her for miles, yet a gentle touch, unlike that annoyingly arrogant Hiei who couldn't even catch her without making her wish she had just falling to the ground instead.

"Next time I'll let you fall," came a voice right next to her making her squeal. Almost jumping across Annie's lap, she fell over and growled at Hiei for scaring her. No one else had heard him but her, and maybe Kurama with his sensitive ears. Everyone laughed at this seemingly harmless prank, unknowing that it was really a threat that sent chills up young Rhea's spine.

Yawning, Annie stood up. "I have to get home. My mom's Asian and hates it when I'm out past like 7." The sun was just about to go down, meaning it was almost 8:30.

"Do you need a ride?" Kurama asked politely, making Rhea smile discreetly.

"Nah, I don't live too far from here, and I'll enjoy the walk."

Saying their goodbyes, everyone watched Annie leave, sticking her headphones in her ears to listen to music on the walk home. Rhea was now technically alone with Kurama. Everyone was preoccupied with their own things, and she had Kurama to herself.

"So… nice weather huh?" She asked stupidly.

With a slight laugh, Kurama answered, "Yes, it's very nice."

Silently scolding herself for being so dumb, Rhea smiled and tried to change the subject.

"So you're a fox demon right? What kind of powers do you have?"

"I can control plant life and vegetation."

"So does that mean you can make, for example, flowers grow and trees come alive?"

"Haha, flowers, yes, trees, not exactly."

This conversation continued between the two. Kurama explained his past and powers to Rhea, while she listened intently.

* * *

"Stupid humans. Why can't they learn that they'll never train hard enough to defeat us?!"

"I dunno Boss, but the red head looks strong, isn't he the legendary Youko?"

"Ha, that guy couldn't scare a fly without his true form!"

"We'll finally get what we came for Boss!"

* * *

Hiei jumped out of the tree he was perched in silently, landing next to Kurama.

"I know." Kurama said, as if in response to something Hiei said.

Yusuke and Kuwabara also looked tense. The girls looked around, Rhea especially curious as to what was causing such rigid behavior from the guys.

As if an answer to her question, two creatures stepped into her vision. One was over 8 feet tall with padded armor and a wicked grin. His skin was a pale green and his eyes could pierce through souls. Next to him stood a much shorter creature with darker green skin with a brown tint. He reminded Rhea of an evil and uglier Batman and Robin. The "Robin" also wore armor that didn't look as effective and was swinging around a big sword. The taller one didn't have a weapon, but looked deadly nonetheless.

"May we help you?" Kurama stepped forward and asked curtly.

"I don't know. I think you can. Do you think they can Zenaku?"

"Yes Boss. I think they can."

Rhea Claire didn't know what to think. This was her second encounter with demons that looked fully demonic, and she wasn't enjoying it. Hiei and jumped in front of her, and Botan had run to her side. Yusuke had his arm in front of Keiko, and glared at the two newcomers.

"We're here for some information on the box."

"I'm sorry men, but I don't know what you're talking about," Kurama replied coolly. Keiko by this time had been guided to Rhea and Botan by Yusuke and was shaking in her shoes. Rhea was frightened too, but there was no way she's let that show in front of Kurama. Frustrated, the "Boss" took a step towards the group.

Sensing an attack, Kurama held his ground protectively in front of the girls. The guys joined him as well, but he seemed the fiercest.

"Well then. Zenaku, I think we'll have to beat the info out of them."

"Oh fun! Hey Boss, can I have the short one? He looks fun to play with!"

"Sure, but leave the red head for me."

"Well now, don't count us out of the fight!" Yusuke chimed in, pushing his sleeves back.

"Heh, don't worry. And when we're done with you, we'll go for those lovely ladies... Heh heh heh," The Boss said with a wink towards the girls.

Botan immediately got riled up. Holding her back with all their strength, Keiko and Rhea managed to contain the blue haired grim reaper from charging at the ugly beast.

"GO GET THEM BOYS!! Teach them the meaning of pain!" Botan yelled at the top of her lungs.

"With pleasure," Kuwabara and Yusuke said with a laugh at the same time.


End file.
